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Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard's blog

China has long assured others of its intent to open up its financial sector. While it has never been entirely clear what this means, many have expected China not just to let in more foreign companies, but also to let them hold greater ownership stakes in their China operations and conduct more lines of business.

In 2017, it was revealed American electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla had concluded an agreement with Shanghai to build a manufacturing complex in Shanghai that, per Tesla CEO Elon Musk, will be extremely advanced and produce cars customized for the China market.

For the past few years, internet giants such as America’s Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, Japan’s Rakuten, and South Korea’s Naver have been facing an increasingly turbulent operating environment in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR). Many of the challenges they face are widely known.

In 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU). “Brexit” fueled considerable anxieties in the Japanese business world, which is the second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UK. This was hardly shocking given the latter’s extensive involvement in the UK.

In the 1970s, Tokyo adopted a conscious strategy to encourage outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) by Japanese firms as a way to mitigate the poisonous pollution flowing from Japan’s economic miracle.

To spur economic development, Vietnam has been, among other strategies, moving to establish special economic zones (SEZs). As elsewhere, these SEZs offer special privileges like long-term leases up to 99 years, tax breaks for companies and workers, and discounts on water and other service charges. In Vietnam’s case, SEZs recently have become a lightning rod for public protest rather than a cause to celebrate Hanoi’s economic acumen.

Recently, GAP, an American apparel firm, caught fire in China because one of its t-shirts selling in Canada had a map of China that did not include Taiwan or South Tibet. This incident follows several other ones involving well-known multinational companies (MNCs) such as Germany’s Audi and Daimler Benz, the US’s Marriott International, Delta and United Airlines, and Medtronix, and Spain’s Zara.

Countries around the world are aggressively constructing industrial parks (“Parks”), high-tech zones (HTZs), and special economic zones (SEZs). They hope incentives such as free or discounted land, lower taxes, and lighter regulation coupled with improved infrastructure, better trade opportunities, and high-quality administration will yield multiple benefits. These include increasing the amount of foreign capital they obtain, facilitating entry into global production chains, and upgrading their scientific capabilities.